601 West Lombard Street
Baltimore MD 21201-1512
Information Services: 410-706-7995
As the Health Literacy Librarian at the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) for the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), my focus is on outreach and education. In this role, I foster partnerships, coordinate outreach efforts, and provide education programing for the region focused on consumer health, patient education, and health literacy. Some of the educational programing and services may include multi-modal instruction for classes, workshops, symposia, the creation of online guides and tutorials, etc. In addition, technical assistance and guidance is provided to organizations who have been awarded NNLM funding for projects within the region. The overall goal is to build partnerships and improve access to health information for medical professionals, librarians, and communities throughout the region.
University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
BA - May 2005
Social Work (BSW) Minor: Women's Studies
University of Maryland Baltimore Baltimore, MD
MSW - May 2006
Concentration: Management and Community Organizing/Clinical
Specialization: Social Action and Community Development
University of Maryland College Park, MD
MLIS - December 2021
Concentration: Archives and Digital Curation & Youth Experiance
My career as a social worker spanned almost two decades. While I have an interest in macro-social work, I fell into clinical practice. I practiced in various areas, including mental health, medical, substance use, child and adolescents, homelessness, case management, program management, outreach, and forensics. I focused on stigmatized populations that are neglected or left behind, such as the poor, the illiterate, and/or uneducated. Additional outreach include those experiencing homelessness and those with experience with the criminal justice system. I worked closely with psychiatrists and other mental health professionals on treatment teams in outpatient mental health centers and psychiatric hospitals and units. I also worked closely with somatic providers in hospitals and clinics with patients that had complex medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS. Working with patients with behavioral health and/or somatic concerns always held a component of education. While treatment modalities vary widely, education for both providers and patients is the key to success and well-being. As I serve as a health literacy librarian, I continue to use my social work knowledge and skills and apply them to meet the health information needs of Region One.
I currently participate as a Tribal Advisory Board Member for Indigenizing Social Networks and Archival Context (SNAC) Advisory Board at the University of Maryland iSchool, in addition to other archival projects. I previously worked part-time at the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery Special Collections Department at University of Maryland Baltimore County. There I was a Consulting Archivist for the Ashley Minner Collection, housed within the Maryland Traditions Archives.
American Indian Library Association (AILA)
Active member: 2021 - present
Recognition Committee: 2022 - present
American Library Association (ALA)
Active member: 2021 - present
Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums
Active member: 2022 - present
Maryland Library Association (MLA)
Active member: 2021 - present
Medical Library Association (MLA)
Active member: 2021 - present
Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Medical Library Association (MAC)
Active member: 2021 - present
Diversity and Inclusion Committee: 2022 - present
Society of American Archivists
Active member: 2022 - present
2022 Member of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
2020 - 2021 Library Systems and Services Scholarship, University of Maryland
2012 Loan Repayment Award, National Health Service Corp